


In a Sea of Strangers

by Slytherbiotch



Category: All Time Low (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Band, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Band Fic, Depression, Eating Disorders, Gay, Jalex - Freeform, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Mental Institutions, all time low - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 19:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20430968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slytherbiotch/pseuds/Slytherbiotch
Summary: The Barakats and Gaskarths had been family friends for years so it makes sense that Jack and Alex were inseparable within moments of becoming friends, that is until 7 years later when the Barakats move away. Jack never told alex.9 years later Alex has sworn to never talk or think about Jack again but when the Barakats are back in town and Jack ends up going to school with Alex what will happen?





	1. Goodye

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of chapters are based off songs, this one of When We Were Young (the cover) by Andy Black

"Jack! Jack! Jackyyy!" Alex yelled as he ran down the block towards the modest grey house he was oh so used to being at. He hadn't seen Jack in a while so he decided to find him and hopefully play some video games or something.

He ran up the driveway to see a small sign that said, "Sold" but wasn't sure what that had to do with anything. He jogged up to the door and saw no one inside, not even Jacks dog, Waffles.

He rung the doorbell and waited a minute. No response. He tried again and still no response. He pressed the doorbell a few more times and began to worry.

He ran back down the driveway close to tears and noticed a big truck that had a picture of a couch and someone holding it along with some words Alex couldn't read except "movers".

Alex knew wasn't sure what the truck was for but guessed it was for furniture, maybe the Barakats were getting new neighbors?

He glumly walked back along the side walk to the small yellow house down the street and opened the wooden door.

"Mommy? Why wasn't Jack at his house? There was a big truck close to it that said "movers", does that mean jack is gone or getting new neighbors? Or is he losing some neighbors?" He asked as his mother picked him up and placed him on the small kitchen counter next to a cabinet.

"Honey, Jack moved today, his father got a job in another place." Alex's mother told him with a frown as she held his hands in hers.

"Well when is he coming back?" He asked innocently.

"Not for a long time, if he even does come back..." she trailed off.

Alex's face fell and tears formed in the corners of his eyes. "B-but why?" He began to sob as his mother held onto him in a tight embrace.

"I don't know honey, how bout we get some ice cream to cheer you up?" Alex's mother suggested but he shook his head, "No, I just wanna see jacky" he mumbled as he wiped his wet face on his arm.

His mother sighed as Alex walked away, hoping he would cheer up soon, but little did she know this was the start of Alex's long, painful spiral downwards.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Hear Me - Imagine Dragons

"Hey Alex!" A cheerful voice called through the hall as Alex got his stuff from his locker.

"Hi Rian" he mumbled quietly back, "how was your weekend?" He asked still quiet.

"Okay I guess, didn't do much" Rian replies back and shut Alex's locker for him as the two began to walk to math class.

Alex sat in his usual seat which was the seat farthest from the door, but sill in the front row. Rian sat close behind him while their other friend, Zach, sat closer to the door in the second row.

Alex noticed a new kid with dark black hair with a piece in the front bleached. He was familiar to Alex for some unknown reason but he didn't think much about it. The mystery boy wore a black leather jacket and a blink 182 t shirt under it along with black ripped skinny jeans.

"Hey kids we've got a new student today so whoever you are" The math teacher paused to look around, "could you please stand up and introduce yourself?"

He cleared his throat, "Uh hi I'm Jack, uh Barakat, I just moved back here." He said obviously not happy to be doing it.

The moment Alex heard Jack introduce himself his heart stopped and he felt his throat go dry, unable to form words. The memories came flooding back to him and he began to panic. He breathed in and out quickly having little affect trying his best not to attract any attention.

The only thing that snapped Alex out of his thoughts was his name being called. "Alexander Gas-Gaskarth?" The teacher stumbled across his last name as he called the students for attendance.

"Uh what? Sorry, I'm here" Alex said quickly and cringed immediately. God he hated the sound of his voice.

Alex tuned most of what his math teacher had to say through out class, it's not like it was important, it was the first day after all.

Jack's POV

Jack walked into math class and sat near a boy with brown hair who he immediately began to crush on. He had chestnut brown hair that was swept to one side of his face, the thing that caught Jack the most was his t-shirt. It was a Green Day t shirt under a jean jacket and black ripped jeans. He quickly made a mental note to talk to the kid later on, once he found out his name.

Jack's name was called first during attendance and heard a small gasp but decided to ignore it. A few moments later a very familiar name was called, "Alexander Gaskarth". It took Jack a moment to figure out why he knew the name and when he did, he automatically knew he was screwed.

Jack couldn't concentrate through the rest of class as his mind was running through memories with Alex and everything they did when they were young.

Soon enough class was over and Jack was off to art class. He didn't enjoy art much as he couldn't paint, draw, or whatever else they did. He preferred music over just about everything school related.

Jack noticed Alex was in his art class as well so he decided to take a seat next to him on a stool.   
He smiled when he noticed Alex was still shorter than him, it always made him smile. As kids Jack had towered over him which helped with the bullying Alex went through.

Alex sat down in art class at his usual seat and greeted the teacher. He was ahead of most kids his age and his teacher considered him responsible enough to do what ever he please while in class as long as he stayed on tasks and cleaned up after himself.

When Jack sat next to Alex he felt the anxiety in his chest rise. He didn't want Jack to talk to him or be near him, he'd already hurt him enough, but as anxious as Alex was, he'd only become more anxious by saying something or moving so he sat still.

The art class was boring, mainly just the teacher covering the basics and explaining to the few people in the class who hadn't been there in the years previous. The boys art class contained the two of them, a girl Ashley who hadn't been in his art in past years, some new kids who were likely to drop out soon, and a few others who Alex already knew.

Third period Alex had science class which he thankfully did not have to deal with Jack in. While Alex silently celebrated, Jack was slightly disappointed that he couldn't be in the same history class Alex was in, but he would ever admit that was how he felt. There were a few good things that came out of that class tho, he made a few friends with the guys in his class.

Even with it being the first day, Jack could tell this was going to be a long year if it was day one and he already had a crush on someone, never mind the fact that it was his childhood best friend, and that he told himself he wouldn't be the "gay kid" of the school also known as the punching bag. He was fucked.

Fourth period was lunch for both Jack and Alex but it meant different things. For Alex it meant hiding in the art room sometimes painting other times writing lyrics to songs he'd never publish. Jack sat alone, not having anyone to sit with, that was until a girl - the one from his art class - sat down next to him.

"Hi" she said poking at her over cooked pasta and sighing.

"Uh hi, Ashley right?" I asked and she nodded, "I'm Jack, uh I'm new" he told her cursing his awkwardness.

"Yeah I know, we're in art together" she mumbled, "anyway I saw you sitting alone and I figured I'd sit with you, and yah know attempt a friendship?" She said but made it sound more like a question.

"That's chill with me, I'm in need of friends" Jack responded, "so tell me about yourself then, any hobbies?"

"Well I like photography a lot but I'm too broke to be able to afford a nice camera so yeah, I also like music, I don't play anything or song but it's a big thing for me" she paused, "how bout you?" 

"Me? Uh I play the guitar a lot, I fucking love Blink-182, and I just moved back here after about 9 years." Jack informed Ashley, who nodded at the liking of Blink-182

They were both silent for a moment until Jack spoke again, "so who do you usually sit with at lunch and hang out with?" He couldn't help but ask.

Ashley shrugged, "Usually with a few friends you might have met them already but the other Ashley who usually goes by Halsey, two boys named Alex and Brian, plus a girl named Lynn. That's mainly it" she told Jack.

He nodded wondering who these people were, but before he could ask Ashley began to point them out. Halsey was the one with cropped reddish hair who was sitting with Lynn, a girl with bleached hair and an undercut. Brian and Alex weren't anywhere to be found at the moment so Jack still didn't know them.

While Jack and Ashley talked some more and made shitty jokes, Alex sat in the art room with his teacher Mr. Way. He usually painted during this period or did whatever he pleased, but today he was writing lyrics for a new song. He had been working on the song for a bit of time now and was in the editing process. Mr. Way often helped him when needed as he had apparently been in a rock band as a teenager.

Soon enough the day was over and it wasn't until the next day that Jack saw Alex again, but Jack discovered they shared another class together being english.

English was the only academic class Alex enjoyed, mainly because they usually did a lot of writing, a strong suit for Alex, so it wasn't bad. If they weren't writing the we're analyzing chapters or quotes from whatever book they were reading and Alex was usually alright at that too. Unfortunately for Jack english was not a strong suit for him so the whole writing and editing thing didn't go well with him.

Today a teacher put a quote up on the bored and had the students annotate it which didn't work out all too well. Most kids wrote something bland like how the main characters love each other, but Alex looked as if he was writing a full on essay.

Once everyone sat back down the teacher asked if anyone knew what book it was from, and only Alex could answer. He said it was a book called The Odyssey which was a very famous book. It told the story of a man, Odysseus, and how his ship on the way back from war was taken everywhere due to the wrath of the gods.

In this particular quote, Alex had noted how there was such a huge theme throughout the book, being the gods ruling over the mortals, and that it came up on this quote.

The teacher smiled and thanked him for the good note, now going onto the others. The rest of class was a bit of a blur until they had to do an activity with their assigned partner.

Jack and Alex were put together and Jack couldn't have been more excited while Alex sighed and anxiously got up to move to Jacks seat.

The assignment was to write a collaborative poem about a shared common interest. Alex was quiet other than offering to write the poem in which Jack agreed and began to think of things he liked that Alex might also enjoy. The only thing he could think of was music, so when he suggested it Alex's frown lightened into a small smile for a second.

"Sure that works for me, anything or one specific?" Alex asked Jack who was taking aback at how much Alex was talking to him.

"Can we do Green Day?" Jack asked quietly and Alex nodded.

Alex quickly got to work and Jack did his best to help but didn't want to be too annoying or in his space.

By the end of class Alex had finished the 6 line poem and turned it to their teacher on the way out of class.

Jack dragged himself to all his classes and by the end he was ready to sleep or die. He didn't really care which in the moment.

He sat on the bus heading to the closest stop by his house, he hated this ride. So man kids so many noises at once, at was a sensory nightmare.

_______

Alex began to walk the long 3 miles and how ever long it took to reach his so called "home". He put his earbuds in and turned the music all the way up blasting whatever songs were on his playlist. He knew playing his music that loud wasn't good for his ears but he didn't give two shits, it was the only distraction he had.

His stomach growled in response to the little food he'd eaten today. Now that Alex thought about it all he remembered eating was an apple this morning that turned out to be rotten so even then he barely ate it. This was going to be one long walk home.

After about an hour he reached the small shitty grey house he called "home". His fathers dirty old Jeep was in the driveway which meant Alex was fucked. He knew there was only two things that were going to happen, either his father was pissed and panned to take it out on him, or Alex managed to get to his room before his father could do anything. He hoped it'd be the later.

He opened the heavy noisy door which led to the living room area. He looked for any sign of his fathers drinking and saw an empty can of beer and a broken bottle which Alex presumed to be a beer bottle.

Alex walked to the stairs as quickly and quietly as he possibly could but lost his balance on the last step and made a large noise.

"Fuck fuck fuck" he mumbled, his breath already shortening from anxiety.

He ran towards his room only to be stopped by his father, who was standing right at Alex's door way waiting for him.

"Trying to run from me were you? You know what happened last time you tried that" his father laughed and Alex could smell the alcohol on his breath.

He knew tonight was going to be painful and he was not ready for it.


End file.
